Olympic attacker back in court

The Catholic priest who shocked millions of TV viewers by grabbing the leader of the Olympic marathon has been ordered by a judge not to leave south-east London.

Neil Horan, 57, will stand trial in October on two charges of indecency on a child under 16 more than 10 years ago.

The trial date was put back a month because of the non-availability of a witness when he appeared at Woolwich Crown Court today.

Judge Michael Carroll told Horan, who pleads not guilty to both charges, that he must live at his Nunhead home, report daily to Peckham police and stay within the south-east London postal area. Horan, originally from County Kerry, Ireland, is accused of molesting the child between 1990 and 1993.

An Athens court handed him a 12-month suspended sentence for the attack at the Olympics on Sunday. Wearing a green beret, red kilt and green socks and carrying a banner proclaiming the Second Coming, Horan pushed Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd.

De Lima recovered to win bronze and was awarded a special "fair play" medal.

Horan said he had been set to fly out tonight to say sorry to the athlete, during which he had also planned to apologise to the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

It was hoped the meetings could be televised, but Horan was forced to put his plans on hold after Judge Michael Carroll imposed the new bail conditions.

Afterwards he said: "I fully intend to go to Brazil to personally apologise to De Lima and hug and kiss him because I do feel a deep hurt within me at what I did to him, depriving him of the gold medal.

"I still hope to do it when the trial is over."

He added: "I want to dance for him in the same costume I wore for the marathon - I hope it will be quite appropriate.

"I sincerely hope that he will appreciate it."

Horan said he had not meant to knock or physically grab de Lima but merely to stand in front of him so TV cameras would see his posters.

He said: "The fact that I had to use this tiny athlete who was so small means that I have a deep hurt within me.